Le maréchal ferrant (The Blacksmith) is a 1761 French two-act[1] opéra comique with spoken dialogue and music composed by François-André Danican Philidor as well as several vaudevilles (popular old songs with new words), which were typically included in opéras comiques of the time.

The libretto is by Antoine-François Quétant, after one of the stories in Boccaccio's Decameron (VII, 1), with verses for the ariettes by Louis Anseaume and a plan devised by Serrière.

The work was also translated and performed in numerous other languages, including German, Danish, Russian, Swedish, English (Boston, 25 March 1793), Spanish and Dutch.

[4] In the view of Julian Rushton, this is Philidor's "most colourful opéra comique, enlivened by mixed metres, parody, onomatopoeia, and inventive ensemble writing.

"[5] Philidor's music was influenced by Italian models and contrasted strongly with the French folkloric elements characteristic of the vaudevilles.